Food Poisoning Or Planned Murder? 22-Year-Old Woman Among 3 Dead In MP After Eating ‘Unclaimed’ Sweets

Last Updated:January 14, 2026, 11:45 PM IST

The police initially perceived this as a case of food poisoning, but are now investigating the matter as a premeditated attack involving tampered food

Police said three people died after consuming sweets found in an abandoned bag in the Junnardeo area of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh. (Image for representation: IMAGEN 4 ENGINE)

A 22-year-old woman was the third person to die in what the police suspect to be a poisoning incident in Madhya Pradesh.

The three deaths, including two persons from the same family, took place in the Junnardeo area of Chhindwara district. According to police, the three died after consuming sweets found in an abandoned bag.

The police initially perceived this as a case of food poisoning, but are now investigating the matter as a premeditated attack involving tampered food.

Early on Wednesday, 22-year-old Khushboo Kathuria died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Nagpur. Her 72-year-old grandfather Sundar Lal Kathuria and 50-year-old security guard Dasaru Yaduvanshi were the first two victims. Investigators said all three died after a “rapid, uncontrollable drop in blood pressure” followed by multi-organ failure.

Reports said on January 9, an unclaimed bag of raw vegetables and a box of cashew-garnished pedas was found outside the public health engineering (PHE) office. Since it went unclaimed, Yaduvanshi took the sweets to a nearby tea stall operated by the Kathurias, where they all shared the box. Those who ate the sweets experienced severe vomiting and a lethal decline in blood pressure within hours.

A report published by NDTV quoted assistant superintendent of police Ashish Khare saying while the case initially appeared to be simple food poisoning due to spoiled goods, that assumption is being reassessed.

“We are investigating from all angles, including whether there is a personal angle or if someone intentionally committed this act or tampered with the sweets,” Khare was quoted.

Police, in fact, are looking into Khushboo Kathuria’s personal history. The NDTV report said her sister Shraddha alleged that Khushboo had a troubled personal life following a love marriage and had returned to her parental home two months ago due to harassment.

Shraddha directed suspicion toward her sister’s in-laws, claiming that they had previously threatened her. “They ate the sweets thinking it was prasad,” she was quoted.

The report said forensic experts are now testing food samples and viscera to identify the toxin, as investigators discovered the sweets do not match any product from local vendors in Junnardeo or neighbouring areas. Police said Khushboo’s mother is under medical monitoring, while autopsy results are awaited so that the cause of the deaths can be confirmed.

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